EMT Chapter 14 Medical Overview

Which of the following assessment findings is MOST indicative of a cardiovascular problem? A. Jugular venous distention B. Palpable pain to the epigastrium C. Unequal breath sounds D. Use of the accessory muscles

A. Jugular venous distention

When assessing a patient with a medical complaint, which of the following would MOST likely reveal the cause of the problem? A. Medical history B. Index of suspicion C. Baseline vital signs D. Primary assessment

A. Medical history

Which of the following conditions is NOT categorized as a psychiatric condition? A. Substance abuse B. Schizophrenia C. Alzheimer disease D. Depression

A. Substance abuse

Patients with tuberculosis pose the greatest risk for transmitting the disease when they: A. cough. B. have a fever. C. vomit. D. are bleeding.

A. cough.

When performing a secondary assessment on a conscious patient with nontraumatic abdominal pain and stable vital signs, you should: A. focus on his or her chief complaint. B. examine the patient from head to toe. C. only palpate tender areas of the abdomen. D. prepare the patient for transport first.

A. focus on his or her chief complaint.

When caring for a patient with an altered mental status and signs of circulatory compromise, you should: A. limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible. B. perform a detailed secondary assessment prior to transporting the patient. C. transport immediately and begin all emergency treatment en route to the hospital. D. have a paramedic unit respond to the scene if it is less than 15 minutes away.

A. limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible.

In 2009, the H1N1 virus accounted for over 200,000 deaths worldwide in the form of the swine flu. In 1919, a similar outbreak of the H1N1 occurred in the form of the Spanish flu. Starting in Kansas City, the virus spread rapidly worldwide, claiming up to 50 million lives. These are both examples of: A. pandemics. B. epidemics. C. uncontrolled outbreaks. D. parasitic infection

A. pandemics.

Which of the following patients is at greatest risk for complications caused by the influenza virus? A. 12-year-old child with a fractured arm B. 68-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes C. 39-year-old man with mild hypertension D. 50-year-old woman moderate obesity

B. 68-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes

Which of the following medications would the EMT be LEAST likely to administer to a patient with a medical complaint? A. acetaminophen. B. ibuprofen. C. aspirin. D. nitrostat.

B. Ibuprofen

Most patients with an infectious disease will have _________. A. abdominal pain B. a fever C. a low blood glucose level D. seizures

B. a fever

Most treatments provided in the prehospital setting are intended to _________. A. confirm the patient's diagnosis B. address the patient's symptoms C. correct the patient's underlying problem D. reduce the need for transport to the hospital

B. address the patient's symptoms

The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made: A. once the patient's baseline vital signs are known. B. after the primary assessment has been completed. C. upon completion of a detailed secondary assessment. D. as soon as the patient voices his or her chief complaint.

B. after the primary assessment has been completed.

In addition to looking for severe bleeding, assessment of circulation in the conscious patient should involve: A. applying a pulse oximeter probe to the finger to determine if peripheral perfusion is adequate. B. checking the radial pulse and noting the color, temperature, and condition of the skin. C. taking a blood pressure and determining if the patient is alert and oriented or confused. D. palpating the carotid pulse to determine the approximate rate and checking capillary refill time.

B. checking the radial pulse and noting the color, temperature, and condition of the skin.

The BEST way to prevent infection from whooping cough is to: A. ask all patients if they have recently traveled abroad. B. get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. C. wear a HEPA mask when treating any respiratory patient. D. routinely place a surgical mask on all respiratory patients.

B. get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

You and your EMT partner arrive at the residence of a 50-year-old man who complains of weakness. Your primary assessment reveals that he is critically ill and will require aggressive treatment. The closest hospital is 25 miles away. You should: A. perform a detailed secondary assessment, assess his vital signs, and then transport rapidly. B. manage all threats to airway, breathing, and circulation and consider requesting an ALS unit. C. administer oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and obtain as much of his medical history as possible. D. load him into the ambulance, begin transport, and perform all treatment en route to the hospital.

B. manage all threats to airway, breathing, and circulation and consider requesting an ALS unit.

Assessment of a patient's blood pressure with an automatic BP cuff reveals that it is 204/120 mm Hg. The patient is conscious and alert and denies any symptoms. The EMT should: A. reassess her blood pressure in 5 minutes. B. obtain a manual blood pressure. C. conclude that she has hypertension. D. prepare for immediate transport.

B. obtain a manual blood pressure.

End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) monitoring is clearly indicated for patients who present with: A. a headache. B. respiratory distress. C. high blood pressure. D. abdominal pain.

B. respiratory distress.

After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to: A. contact medical control. B. take standard precautions. C. quickly access the patient. D. notify law enforcement.

B. take standard precautions.

Which of the following is bacterium resistant to most antibiotics and causes skin abscesses? A. Whooping cough B. H1N1 C. MRSA D. Avian flu

C. MRSA

Your primary assessment of an elderly woman reveals that she is conscious and alert, but is experiencing difficulty breathing. She has a history of emphysema, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. As you assess the patient's circulatory status, you should direct your partner to: A. assess her oxygen saturation and blood pressure. B. perform a head-to-toe secondary assessment. C. administer oxygen with the appropriate device. D. retrieve the stretcher and prepare for transport.

C. administer oxygen with the appropriate device.

Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it: A. is less resistant to treatment. B. is a more contagious type of disease. C. has a greater ability to produce disease. D. leads to chronic infection after exposure.

C. has a greater ability to produce disease.

The secondary assessment of a medical patient: A. should be performed at the scene, especially if the patient is critically ill. B. should routinely include a comprehensive examination from head to toe. C. is not practical if the patient is critically ill or your transport time is short. D. is typically limited to a focused exam for patients who are unconscious.

C. is not practical if the patient is critically ill or your transport time is short.

Reassessment of a patient with a medical complaint should begin by: A. reviewing all treatment performed. B. taking another set of vital signs. C. repeating the primary assessment. D. reassessing the nature of illness.

C. repeating the primary assessment.

In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to utilize an air medical transportation service? A. 29-year-old woman who is 18 weeks pregnant, has light vaginal bleeding, and stable vital signs B. 43-year-old man experiencing a heart attack, and the closest appropriate hospital is 15 minutes away C. 50-year-old conscious woman with severe nausea and vomiting, fever, and chills of 3 days' duration D. 61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes

D. 61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes

Which of the following statements regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is correct? A. The communicable period for MRSA is 10 days to 2 weeks after being infected. B. Most cases of MRSA transmission occur following an accidental needlestick. C. Studies have shown that fewer than 1% of health care providers are MRSA carriers. D. MRSA is a bacterium that causes infections and is resistant to most antibiotics.

D. MRSA is a bacterium that causes infections and is resistant to most antibiotics.

An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as: A. any disease that enters the body via the bloodstream and renders the immune system nonfunctional. B. the invasion of the human body by a bacterium that cannot be destroyed by antibiotics or other drugs. C. a disease that can be spread from one person or species to another through a number of mechanisms. D. a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.

D. a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.

You are attending to a 27-year-old male driver of a car. According to his passenger, the patient had been acting strangely while driving, then slumped forward against the steering wheel, apparently unconscious. The car drove off the road and struck a27 telephone pole. The patient remains unconscious, and physical assessment reveals only a large hematoma on his right forehead with no other physical signs. Your patient is a diabetic who had been under a lot of stress lately and may have missed meals. This is an example of a: A. medical emergency. B. trauma emergency. C. combination of a medical and trauma emergency. D. combination of a psychiatric and trauma emergency.

D. combination of a medical and trauma emergency.

In contrast to viral hepatitis, toxin-induced hepatitis: A. is a far more transmittable disease. B. typically does not cause yellow skin. C. can be prevented with a vaccination. D. is not a communicable disease.

D. is not a communicable disease.

Assessment of the medical patient is usually focused on the _________. A. associated symptoms B. field diagnosis C. medical history D. nature of illness

D. nature of illness

When forming your general impression of a patient with a medical complaint, it is important to remember that: A. the majority of medical patients you encounter are also injured. B. it is during the general impression that assessment of the ABCs occurs. C. most serious medical conditions do not present with obvious symptoms. D. the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first.

D. the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first.

Ten days after treating a 34-year-old patient with tuberculosis, you are given a tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely indicates that: A. you are actively infected with tuberculosis and should be treated immediately. B. the disease is dormant in your body, but will probably never cause symptoms. C. you contracted the disease by casual contact instead of exposure to secretions. D. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.

D. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.